Body of 2nd swimmer recovered off Hunting Island; 1 still missing

A 38-year-old man's body was pulled from the waters near the Hunting Island State Park on Monday, a day after a 17-year-old he was swimming with was recovered, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.

Fire and rescue services search for three swimmers who went missing July 14 near a campground at Hunting Island State Park.
Sarah Welliver

A 38-year-old man's body was pulled from the waters near the Hunting Island State Park on Monday, a day after a 17-year-old he was swimming with was recovered, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office.

The search for the third swimmer, also a 17-year-old man, continues and will resume Tuesday if he is not located by nightfall.

The body of one of 17-year-olds was recovered Sunday afternoon off the coast of Hunting Island, according to a release from the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office. The other 17-year-old was a family friend, and the 38-year-old was a father of one of the two.

The victims have not been identified pending notification of family, but they were from the Spartanburg area, according to Beaufort County Coroner Ed Allen.

The three swimmers were reported missing at 4:45 p.m. Sunday. A 14-year-old girl swimming with them said they were struggling against strong currents. When she became separated from the group, she swam back to shore and called for help, according to a Sheriff's Office news release Sunday.

A National Weather Service Charleston alert said the four swimmers were caught in a rip current.

Witness Glenn White of Gaffney said the group was using a boogie board when they were swept out to sea, and none of them appeared able to swim. He said the group was pulled out a few hundred yards from the beach when they began to scream for help.

"The boogie board jumped straight out of the water and they just slid off," he said.

White and others started running down the beach trying to keep up with them. White and other bystanders trying to reach the group waded out into neck-deep water, but the group was too far away and moving too quickly in the current for them to help.

White said the girl turned on her back to float and paddled back to the shore, and he and others helped pull her to safety. The girl said she had grabbed one of the boys by the wrist, but he slipped from her grip in the current.

White said the entire incident occurred so quickly, he almost didn't know what happened. As he went to fish down the beach to clear his mind, White said his wife spotted someone in the water.

"It was one of the guys," he said. "I ran out and grabbed him and dragged him in. The authorities came down and got him after."

Search efforts to rescue the other two swimmers by the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Coast Guard, Hunting Island park rangers and the Fripp Island and Lady's Island fire departments were called off at about 8:45 p.m. as the sun set.

Officials confirmed the efforts were switched from rescue to recovery. Park rangers were to continue to patrol the shores overnight and the search to resume at daybreak Monday, according to Beaufort County officials.

Beaufort County Coroner Ed Allen said there were no obvious signs of physical injury on the body of the teenager recovered from the water Sunday. An autopsy is planned.

Allen added the names of the victims would not be released until the family has time to notify relatives out of the area.

Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Sgt. Robin McIntosh said the victims likely would not be identified until Monday.

Allen expressed his condolences for the swimmers Sunday night.

"As a community, we give this family who was visiting this area our thoughts and prayers," he said.

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